Yoo Joonghyuk murió.

No parecía real

Me quedé sin aliento por el horror que me invadía. ¿Por qué Yoo Joonghyuk obtuvo de repente el atributo de «escritor» y por qué eligió morir o involucionar? Parecía saberlo, pero me costaba entenderlo. Ya no conocía al Yoo Joonghyuk original. Solo unas pocas historias demostraban su ausencia.

…Me sentí así.

Inhalé lentamente y exhalé nuevamente.

Tenía tinnitus y el corazón me latía como loco. Volví a respirar.

Mis sentidos regresaron lentamente y se escucharon los murmullos de los miembros del grupo.

«…¿Qué pasó?»

¿No lo oíste? ¡El escenario está despejado!

Me di dos palmadas en las mejillas y levanté la cabeza mientras sentía el estado del dragón del apocalipsis fluyendo desde el sello.

Si mi predicción era correcta, aún había tiempo. Grité a los miembros del grupo dispersos por todas partes: «¡Reúnanse todos! Tengo una historia que contar».

Los miembros del grupo me rodearon a pesar de su recelo. Alguien apoyaba a la caída Han Sooyoung, mientras que Kim Namwoon y Lee Jihye me mostraban una fuerte hostilidad.

Dentro de un tiempo, el Dragón del Apocalipsis será liberado. En relación con eso…

¡Cállate! ¿Qué hacías antes? ¡Tú y Yoo Joonghyuk se unieron para atacar al Maestro! —gritó Lee Jihye mientras apuntaba su espada a mi cuello. Entonces Lee Hyunsung murmuró: «Dokja-ssi, esa cosa…».

¡Capitán! ¿Qué pasa con este imbécil? ¿Debería encargarme de él?

Kim Namwoon llenó sus manos con las llamas negras. Han Sooyoung negó con la cabeza. «…Todos, escúchenlo.»

«¿Eh?»

«Escúchalo.»

Han Sooyoung tenía los ojos abiertos, pero sus pupilas vacías demostraban que lo había dejado todo. Se parecía a mí. Puede que lo pareciera superficialmente, pero ya entendía la situación. Quizás estaba pensando en el siguiente plan.

Miré a los miembros del grupo: Lee Hyunsung, Kim Namwoon, Lee Seolhwa, Lee Jihye, Shin Yoosung…

Los que sobrevivieron a la ronda 1863. Podría haberles contado la verdad sobre Han Sooyoung. Han Sooyoung te estaba usando. Para crear un mundo nuevo, quería terminar tu historia aquí. Aun así, no pude decirlo.

«Todos, cuiden al capitán. No saquen conclusiones precipitadas. Escuchen a Dokja-ssi».

It was because they were seriously following Han Sooyoung. The group’s hostility towards me was dampened by Lee Hyunsung’s words.

I started the story. «The liberation of the apocalypse dragon isn’t over when the seal is released. You might not know it but the end of this scenario…»

I looked up at the sky. The other party members also looked up with me. The sealing sphere was crumpled. The fragments of the seal were breaking little by little. As time went on, the density of the sky was becoming thicker.

I relied on the Fourth Wall and spat out empty words. «Go back to the headquarters and prepare for the next scenario. Maybe there will be three days left.»

I could immediately leave the 1863rd round. However, I couldn’t do this because the characters in this turn were people I liked.

I earned some time from the liberation of the apocalypse dragon by using the Grass-Cutting Sword as the last key. It was lacking a bit of status to be used as a key, slightly delaying the release of the apocalypse dragon.

I had to use this time wisely. Now that Han Sooyoung had chosen this route, the destruction of at least one nebula was determined. The most important thing was to avoid Earth being destroyed.

The next day, I handed Lee Hyunsung a considerable amount of information. They were all plans that I had mapped out beforehand. From avoiding the disaster of the apocalypse dragon to gaining new stories and items. I also handed over the list of the strongest people.

Lee Hyunsung listened to my story from beginning to end and suddenly looked up. «…How does Dokja-ssi know all of this?»

«It is the reason why Han Sooyoung knows.»

I tried to avoid unnecessary explanations but Lee Hyunsung’s expression was unusual. Lee Hyunsung hesitated for a long time before saying something unexpected. «Is Dokja-ssi a ‘plagiarist writer?'»

«…Plagiarist writer?»

«You… aren’t? I’m sorry.»

I was filled with confusion. «Did Han Sooyoung talk about her attributes?»

«Ah, well…»

Lee Hyunsung scratched his head with a troubled expression. I couldn’t believe it. The prideful and selfish Han Sooyoung showed her original attribute? Why?

«Everyone get out.»

I was just thinking this when the door to the situation room opened and someone entered. It was Han Sooyoung who was wearing a hat deep over her face.

«Yes, I understand.» Lee Hyunsung bowed, packed up and went out of the room. The only ones left in the room were Han Sooyoung and me.

Since I cleared my Outer World Covenant, it must be the same for Han Sooyoung. In such circumstances, there was no reason for her to show hostility to me.

«Your mental state seems better.»

«Shut up.» Han Sooyoung answered as she folded her arms and sat down on the chair. I asked, «Why are you complaining?»

«Complaining? Is that what you’re calling it? Thanks to you, all the people here might die.»

I saw the party members waiting outside the room for us. The people gathered outside the transparent wall were talking with serious expressions. It was probably because of Han Sooyoung’s desperate expression shortly after Yoo Joonghyuk’s death. I stated, «It is better to go to the next scenario than fall asleep forever.»

Outside the window, Lee Hyunsung met my gaze and smiled faintly. Lee Hyunsung knew that Han Sooyoung was a plagiarist. Maybe Lee Hyunsung knew that Han Sooyoung would abandon them. He was bear-like but he had a deep heart. Lee Hyunsung might’ve predicted that this would happen. Nevertheless, he decided to follow Han Sooyoung.

I continued speaking, «It isn’t over when the apocalypse dragon is released. Don’t you also know?»

Han Sooyoung bowed her head and didn’t answer. The apocalypse dragon that was gradually being freed from the seal. Once freed, there would be a disaster in the Star Stream. This didn’t mean that all future scenarios would end.

In fact, in the 1863rd round, Yoo Joonghyuk freed the apocalypse dragon and saw the end of the scenario.

«Explain it to the members. Everything you did and everything you hid. It might not be a perfect development but there is a way to do it.»

«…»

«There are still many places where you can borrow power. Anna Croft’s Zarathustra, the Seekers of the End, the Transcendent King and ‘the person’ who lives on the reincarnation planet…»

«I told you to shut up.» Han Sooyoung looked up and glared at me. The prideful eyes glared at me from below the hat. However…there was something strange.

Han Sooyoung’s eyes were swollen. As I stared at her face, Han Sooyoung growled and pressed her hat lower.

I didn’t like Han Sooyoung of the 1863rd round. Even so, I could understand Han Sooyoung. The world that she wanted to make was a bit like the world I dreamt of.

Han Sooyoung spoke through gritted teeth. «Yoo Joonghyuk became an ‘author’.»

«Why did he suddenly get such an attribute?»

«I guess he wanted to write a new story in a very sincere manner. That is the condition to opening the ‘author’ trait.»

I could understand but also didn’t understand. A world that couldn’t complete the round but was struggling to survive… Yoo Joonghyuk went out of it in order to write his own story.

Han Sooyoung didn’t speak but we could clearly see what the other was thinking. Han Sooyoung raised her head, took off her hat and lit a cigarette.

I asked, «How about a question and answer exchange? Don’t use the system because it is annoying.»

Han Sooyoung smoked with an emotionless face. «Lies are included?»

«Okay.»

«You first.»

I nodded. «Who do you think is the author of Ways of Survival?»

Han Sooyoung volvió a aspirar el humo y lo expulsó. Luego respondió: «Un bebé muy grande».

«…¿Bebé?»

En un mundo sin escenarios, solo el deseo de ver la siguiente historia… un bebé con una imaginación terrible.

Me vino a la mente algo. Un mundo sin escenarios. Solo había un mundo así en esta Corriente Estelar.

«No me digas…»

—Será mejor que no lo digas con la boca. —Han Sooyoung señaló al cielo—. Podría estar escuchando.

Cerré la boca. No era imposible si esa «existencia» era realmente el escritor. Sin embargo…

Mi cabeza estaba en un estado complicado cuando le dije a Han Sooyoung: «Es tu turno. Pregunta».

«Estoy pensando, por favor espera.»

«…No hay mucho tiempo, así que pregúntame rápido. Me voy mañana por la mañana.»

«¿Mañana por la mañana?»

«He cumplido el Pacto del Mundo Exterior y necesito regresar a mi mundo original».

Han Sooyoung frunció el ceño levemente. «¿Estás acabado y nos vas a dejar tirados? ¡Genial! Mi mundo está arruinado…»

«Le entregué todo lo que sé a Lee Hyunsung. Pueden llegar hasta el final sin ayuda».

Pensé mientras miraba a la gente fuera de la sala de crisis. Desde el principio, este mundo era «su mundo». Pregunté: «¿Cuándo se van a ir?».

«¿Dejar?»

«También habéis cumplido el Pacto del Mundo Exterior.»

No fui el único en completar el Pacto del Mundo Exterior. Yoo Joonghyuk había muerto y Han Sooyoung cumplió su misión. Ahora partiría para completar su «mundo» con la ayuda de Secretive Plotter.

«¿Han Sooyoung?»

Han Sooyoung miró al suelo y respondió: «No voy».